Prajakta Potnis

Although she is inspired by everyday objects and landscapes, Prajakta Potnis’ real interest lies in interpreting dreams. In a world where a great deal of attention and time is focused on realizing or fulfilling one’s dreams, Potnis attempts to reverse the process and understand people’s realities through their dreams. Her unique ability to rediscover, rather than merely document reality through her body of work, allows the artist to create a new world, much like ‘a fairytale suspended in reality’, exposing the fragility of desire and the impractical romanticism of dreams. 

Potnis has painted houses, scooters and cars, all objects of desire, covered in corrugated sheets or packaging material. These material objects, usually identified with position and status, when cloaked by the artist reveal that the significance of the objects within are largely based on appearances, and that the dreams to possess them are dangerously fragile. Through her work, Potnis unsympathetically makes her viewers aware of their false sense of security and superficial desires and measures of success. 

Prajakta Potnis was born in Thane and completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Fine Art from the Sir J.J. School of Art in Mumbai. 

She has participated in several group shows, the more recent ones being ‘Some Blind Alleys’ at Anant Art Gallery, New Delhi, in 2007; ‘Soft Spoken’ at the Bombay Art Gallery, Mumbai, in 2007; ‘Reading Paint’ at Gallery Soulflower, Bangkok, in 2007; ‘III/III - Here and Now: Young Voices from India’ at Grosvenor Vadehra, London, in 2007; and ‘Myrrh’, Tao Art Gallery, Mumbai, in 2006. The artist’s first solo show was ‘Walls-in-Between’, held at Kitab Mahal by the Guild Art Gallery, Mumbai, in 2006. In 2003-04, Potnis received the Inlaks Fine Arts Award, and in 2001-03, she was awarded a Young Artist Scholarship by the Department of Culture of the Government of India. 

Prajakta Potnis lives and works in Mumbai.

(Profile by Saffronart)